I can’t believe it’s that time of year again! The holidays always make me think of dates, and boyfriends, and all kinds of romantic stuff!

For today’s writing challenge, write about your first love.

What did they look like? Smell like? Talk like? Act like? How did they treat their mother? How did they treat you? Did they know you existed? Did they have siblings? Did you end up getting married? Did you end up breaking up? What happened to them? What was your first kiss together like? What about your first date? Did they buy you something for Christmas? What about for your birthday? What did they buy you? How did it end? How did it begin?

(When I grow up I’m going to remember how to save pictures on this blog.)

Now, when the pies are freezing, imagine a girl who is a bit of a klutz.

She can’t walk without falling.

She can’t adjust her own glasses without poking herself in the eye.

She decides to make this pie, too. How does she do? Is she Amelia Bedelia? Or me? Write her experience.

Merry Christmas Day 10

Share the second pie with someone who needs it. You can decide who that person is and why there is a need.

Before you take the pie over, write a note expressing your love for this person. You may give it along with the pie, or treasure the thoughts for yourself. However, I have found when I don’t move on a particular thought (when it comes to others), I always miss an opportunity.

One Christmas, there was a surprise blackboard where Santa had written my sister and me a note.

“That’s Nana’s handwriting,” I said. I looked squint – eyed at my mother and grandmother. Then I shrugged off that coincidence and went to open all of my presents, which happened to be Barbie stuff. Including a toaster that really popped the toast up.

I believed in Santa like a crazy gal. I argued with first graders, and when I went to second grade, I argued with second graders, and when I went to third grade, I argued with third graders. According to my mother, I believed in Santa until I was 12-years-old.

I still sort of believe. And while I never taught my own children that Santa gave them presents, I did tell them there was someone who gave to people who didn’t have anything and that he lived long ago and he is the real Saint Nicholas. And because I love Him, we talked a lot about Jesus.

By the way, Mom said when she told me Santa wasn’t real, I cried for hours. Then she said I ran back in to the living room, and asked, “Well, what about the Easter Bunny?” It was a rude awakening.

So what do you believe?

Who is your hero?

What means the most to you at this time of year?

How does your character celebrate?

Write 25 adjectives showing how your character celebrates Christmas.

what would your character fight to the death for?

And finally, if there were a Santa Claus, and there may be, what would he do for you?

When I was little, my beloved Nana had a silver Christmas tree. It was as big as the whole room and there were pink-bulb ornaments and Santa-faced ornaments and I loved that tree. It was a dream. There were promises tied up in it. When it came out of the box and the lights went on and you turned out all the ceiling lights, you couldn’t help but gasp. The whole room twinkled.

What memory do you have, that may be a little different? Is it your grandmother, cigarette smoke a wreath around her head, sitting in a darkened room, smoking? Does she have a cold beer in her hand? When she laughs, does she mean it?

How can you change your memory, or the feeling of your memory and put it into fiction? Can you write an essay? Can you make someone your children never knew, live? Can you almost touch the image you create?

That is your writing exercise today. Write about someone, without being sappy, and make them breathe.

These secrets are hidden from most others and are sometimes hidden from ourselves. Some secrets may be harder to hide during The Holidays. They may make a person more generous or more Scrooge-like. Whatever, our secrets are a part of us. And when we are writing, secrets can make for a more interesting character.

I just realized one of my characters was wildly in love with a guy she’s dated behind her best friend’s back. Secrets complicate plots, make for a juicier read, and give you something to write about. And while this isn’t a big secret in my book, it’s one the character has carried for a decade.

What are your character’s secrets?

Write three.

Make each one more dark than the one before.

Part Two of Merry Christmas Day 6:

Imagine this secret is revealed on Christmas Day, without the main character wanting it to be known.

Ann Dee always makes it snow on our site at this time of year. Have you noticed?

Once, when I was in Florida (which is where I grew up) is got so cold the water dripping from our hose (to keep the pipes from freezing) formed a four-foot icicle. Mom and I were so surprised, and excited, we took a picture by frozen water.

Imagine your character has never seen snow. It’s her very first experience. In 250 words, write about this event, using all the senses. If you only know snow, you are going to have to stretch. If you’ve never touched or walked through snow, or seen 25 foot snow drifts on the side of the road, you’re going to have stretch, too.

Here’s is the second part of the challenge. Think outside the box. No glistening. No freezing. No sparkling (Geez. Am I describing a vampire?). Make this new and original.